“Members produce what they consume.”
James R. Hudson, Ph.D.
Sociologist/Co-founder Melos Institute
Seriously, can any other type of organization make such a claim?
None frankly, that I have been able to find.
Associations – more accurately those that represent professions, trades, or personal avocations (unions excepted) – are distinctively different from for-profit and all other nonprofit organizations in their purpose, scope, focus, and goals.
Their distinctiveness requires they be viewed and treated as…
membership-based organizations (MBOs).
Exactly how are MBOs different?
Their founders established them to identify, shape, and advance the body of knowledge specific to their often emergent practice settings. They did so because their chosen field of endeavor lacked the respect and legitimacy they felt it deserved.
They recognized that those involved in their discipline had to not just develop, but also exhibit specific competencies and capacities to secure that outcome. They also understood that the needed information and knowledge would come from their members. And, that their members would always be the primary source of new information, knowledge, effective practices, and more.
What they didn’t anticipate was the:
- degree to which their MBOs served as conduits for members to develop meaningful and purposeful relationships;
- transformative impact their members experienced through their ongoing engagement, and;
- impact these relationships had on establishing socially cohesive specially-defined membership communities within their MBOs where mutual trust and mutual support thrived.
Since the first was established, MBOs have been the arbiters and architects of the information and knowledge specific to their members’ practice settings. Despite the fact that, for decades, that fundamental role has received less attention, it remains the primary reason why these organizations were founded and continue to exist.
Yet today, most volunteer and staff leaders don’t fully appreciate
that this outcome can only be achieved
when MBOs are operating in functioning democracies.
Why is that important?
Because the kind of member engagement MBOs
need to operate effectively requires their members
have access to the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Those very freedoms, more recently, are at risk of being suppressed…some permanently.
One sure way to combat these threats and challenges – from those seeking to impose them – is to change the current mindset about member engagement…to understand what it actually means within the context of MBOs.
To do that, volunteer and staff leaders have to suspend a series of current assumptions. At the same time recognize the steps that their predecessors unintentionally took; steps that have hindered their ability to build and expand a high degree of member engagement within their organizations.
In addition to accepting a somewhat narrow definition of member engagement, with the best of intentions, many previous leaders also adopted a series of processes and practices associated with the widely-used transaction-based business management model. They did so hoping to increase their organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency.
When it produced those results, it was heralded as the solution to ensure their MBOs’ long-term sustainability. This well-intentioned decision prompted all who followed to believe their MBOs were like businesses and their members like customers.
Again, for decades, no concerns were expressed that these actions might generate a host of unintended consequences. When they did materialize – like increased difficulties in generating wider and lasting member engagement – plausible assumptions were made based on observations rather than sufficient evidence.
What resulted was a host of inaccurate assumptions that have rarely, if ever, been contested.
That was, until someone outside the association management community took a serious interest in MBOs’ emergence, formation, development and operations. That curiosity ultimately led to a new and better understanding about member engagement in MBOs.
An Unparalleled Study: Association/MBOs’ Published Histories
The initial discovery was first made by sociological scholar – James R. Hudson, Ph.D. – during his groundbreaking analysis of MBOs’ emergence, formation, development, and operations. His research consisted of reviewing over 400 MBOs’ published histories. He did so hoping to find common patterns and trends of issues chronicled by the organizations in their own words.
What he found exceeded his expectations. The similarities were consistent across a number of key categories, including but not limited to: the field of endeavor, generational classifications, gender, lifestyle preference, formation date, organizational scope (i.e., local, state, regional, national, or international), organizational development, leadership development, member engagement, and more.
In essence, his findings proved that many of MBOs’ persistent challenges – believed caused by today’s technological advancements – were chronicled in every one of their histories as a problem…some as far back as their founding. This discovery was a confirmation for those of us who questioned the validity of these long-standing assumptions; particularly those specific to member engagement that just made no sense, like:
If members were “too busy” to engage,
how was it that some did while others did not…
were those members somehow “less busy”?
Dr. Hudson’s academic analysis provided an insight that was largely absent from the association management literature. For the first time, his findings encouraged me to establish a pathway to examine member engagement in MBOs differently. I wondered if I was missing something by depending on the widely-popular research methodologies – like traditional forced-choice surveys and focus groups – to accurately understand members’ needs and expectations.
About that time, Dr. Hudson’s extraordinary research provided a possible answer to that question. He revealed a possible root cause; one that had never been considered within the association management community. Based on the published histories, he concluded that volunteer and leaders had become convinced that their organizations’ long-term financial sustainability had become dependent on a wide range of traditional transaction-based business model strategies that they had adopted in the late 1970s/early 1980s.
That decision contributed to the normalization and institutionalization of these actions within these organizations.
He believed that these strategies – which were designed specifically for use in for-profit settings – had most likely prompted unexpected outcomes and become obstacles on issues like increasing and expanding member engagement. From my own practical experience as a staff professional, I concurred. Even if so, the challenge we faced was identifying a suitable alternative…as one was not easily evident.
More importantly, it had to be one that would not just inspire members to engage, but to engage more routinely. We founded the Melos Institute to answer the following research question:
What was the underlying reason why
some members engaged while others did not?
With every applied research initiative that we conducted, we learned a bit more about MBOs’ purpose, scope, focus, and goals, including that they:
- existed to achieve outcomes that were distinctive from for-profit and other nonprofit organizations;
- were uniquely designed to advance positive social change on individual, collective, and societal levels;
- possessed an organizational framework that operated more like a representative democracy than a business…despite the fact their founders were pioneers and leaders in for-profit enterprises;
- possessed, once eligibility requirements were established, actual (albeit portable) specially-defined membership communities, and;
- represented members who needed to be viewed and treated more like citizens than customers.
These additional findings reinforced the notion that the adoption of traditional transaction-based business management strategies – because they were intentionally designed to generate different outcomes – could unintentionally be undermining efforts to build and expand member engagement.
If so, we believed the ramifications could be substantial.
But we lacked sufficient evidence, even from the published histories, to prove it.
Unexpectedly, an opportunity arose to gain that very insight.
Helping Volunteer Leaders Appreciate Their Role in Member Engagement
In September 2013, I was asked to facilitate a volunteer leadership training session for the California Society of Enrolled Agents (CSEA). They wanted and needed their volunteer leaders to play a larger role in building member engagement; particularly at the chapter level.
After some initial preparation, what became clear was that most had a positive member experience…but for most, it seemed to “just happen serendipitously.” Thus, most didn’t recognize helping increase member engagement was one of their responsibilities.
For that to change, their perspective needed to be expanded beyond their own personal experience.
After some discussion, the chief elected, chief executive officer, and I agreed that an icebreaker might be the best way to introduce this notion. If it worked, it would set the tone for the remainder of the conference. Since no such activity existed, I had to create it…without testing its efficacy!
The day arrived. After a few opening remarks, every volunteer leader was given a specially-designed card with this request:
In your own words, tell us your story.
How has your involvement in CSEA
made a difference in your practice?
A reasonable amount of time was given to respond. They were then asked to share their stories with others at their table; then select one to report to the larger group. What happened next was truly unexpected.
At first it was quiet as each wrote their story. Then as the initial sharing began, a loud buzz arose within the room. As the tables reported their selected stories, everyone felt the atmosphere in the room change. The mid-afternoon energy that existed at the start of the session transformed into one filled with great enthusiasm.
How exactly did their stories reshape my understanding of member engagement?
Most of the patterns and trends that were identified from their responses were quite obvious; making for a fairly seamless learning experience for all. And, one that helped these volunteer leaders gain a deeper insight and appreciation of their membership and how they – as volunteer leaders – could extend this experience to their fellow members.
It was only afterwards, when sufficient time was available to fully analyze their stories in greater depth that the icebreaker’s potential long-term value became evident. Why? Their responses were not practice-specific. They, instead, represented the kinds of outcomes that a member in any MBO might experience.
Fortunately, other opportunities – with MBOs representing difference practice settings – arose to replicate this icebreaker. Each time, the results were the same.
Let’s explore the most salient.
Engagement from the Members’ Perspective
As noted earlier, findings from Dr. Hudson’s research challenged several long-standing assumptions about MBOs. One, in particular, was that members didn’t engage because they were “too busy.” His research revealed identical complaints in the published histories…made by founders and their immediate successors dating as far back as the late 1800s/early 1900s!
This suggested that engagement had been, was, and remained a chronic problem.
Dr. Hudson and I wondered if the problem was less members’ availability and more their familiarity of how to engage in ways that mattered most to them.
Simply put, did members understand and appreciate:
- what it meant to be a member?
- how to engage in ways that addressed their needs, interests, goals, and aspirations?
We wondered this because the stories, analyzed collectively, gave that impression.
This icebreaker gave us the opportunity to first compile 100 members’ stories from CSEA, and then subsequently even more from MBOs representing different practice settings.
What became evident was that most volunteer leaders
did not usually step forward to engage on their own
but instead were encouraged by someone
who took an interest in them.
The findings, using responses from CSEA’s volunteer leaders as examples, fell into four key categories.
Waiting for the Invitation/Guidance
A number of volunteer leaders – like these below – initiated their engagement because of an invitation.
“I joined CSEA right after becoming an EA (Enrolled Agent) in 1984. For the first year, I never attended a meeting. And then I was invited to come to a dinner meeting in San Bernardino. I became active in the local chapter and moved through the chairs until being elected president. I started attending CSEA and have served as an officer twice. These experiences have bene invaluable for my education and practice management. Also, now I have expanded my representation to a national level. My credentials with CSE have helped establish my credibility. I have not missed a Super Seminar since 1985.” Don S.
“When I first passed the Enrolled Agent (EA) exam, another EA took me to my first dinner meeting. My EA instructor was a member also. I attended meetings, started getting jobs and eventually became President of my chapter. The growth and confidence I developed also helped me to decide to go out on my own and create a successful practice.” Mary P.
The correlation between those who initially received informal guidance and support and those who became actively engaged was quite substantial…so much so that the relationship could not be ignored.
Dr. Hudson and I believed this just might mean that MBOs could benefit greatly if they paid closer attention to the ways in which they helped their members learn how to navigate their organizations to gain access to that which they needed, when they needed it, and in a format that worked for them.
We further wondered exactly how members benefited from their engagement. Again, the stories shared by CSEA’s volunteer leaders offered important insights; one being:
Their high degree of engagement had a positive, lasting, and transformative impact
in their personal and professional lives.
It did so in the following ways.
Validating their Social Role/Identity as a Professional
Complex societies are often characterized as consisting of a multitude of practice settings; some of which are more visible and recognizable than others. For those that are not so, MBOs provide a setting where their members can gain initial acceptance and recognition of their expertise, share common language, and can interact easily without having to explain themselves. More importantly, their MBOs take further steps to widen the public’s awareness and appreciation of their members’ field of endeavor.
While CSEA volunteer leaders expressed this in their own words, they nonetheless recognized the importance of being recognized for their expertise within and outside of their practice setting…not just among their fellow members, but also among those they served.
“It has given me credibility with financial professionals – nice plaques for my office – have been able to meet interesting and knowledgeable people.” Alex D.
“When I first joined the association 30 years ago, it gave me confidence to face my clients and the IRS. Now it gives me pride to be part of an organization of real tax professionals.” Pamela P.
“First and foremost my relationship with CSEA in my practice is my clients know and appreciate that they have a knowledgeable person to help them with their taxes and really care about them and their families. We have developed a family relationship.” Donald M.
Most members don’t consciously join their MBOs with this in mind. Yet, those who engage – especially those who do so routinely – often express this outcome to be one of the more gratifying aspects of their membership.
Why is this important?
Because this social role/identity – out of all they assume – dominates their life in a consequential way.
And yet, that’s not all MBOs do for their members….their engagement generates other lasting outcomes.
Personal/Professional Development
Members join MBOs to gain access to learning opportunities to increase their competencies and capacities specific to their practice settings. Most engage episodically; often making decisions to participate or make purchases based on a range of considerations including but not limited to: relevance of topic and promised outcomes, cost, travel requirements, time away from work and family, and more.
In many ways, members today make decisions to engage much in the same way that they make other purchasing decisions. They do because it’s all they’ve been taught. Most have never learned how to engage in an organizational setting in such a way that mutual benefit results.
What we did find was that some were exposed to it without realizing it.
Most volunteer leaders’ stories revealed that, for some reason as members, they were unexpectedly singled out. Someone took an interest in them; offering the guidance and support they needed to select those learning opportunities that would deliver an immediate and direct benefit…including making connections with fellow members who could provide key insights and advice that they needed.
These volunteer leaders didn’t fully realize that they had learned a new way to navigate their MBO to address their needs, interests, goals, and aspirations. Further, they didn’t fully appreciate they had created an informal albeit customized plan for their personal and professional development.
We were ecstatic in learning this; imagining what member engagement might look like if more members learned how to do the same.
The impact this had on their members was so subtle that CSEA’s staff professionals also didn’t fully appreciate the degree to which their organization was not just educating, but also transforming their lives in very positive ways. It was only through our subsequent analysis of these volunteer leaders’ stories that we realized just how consequential these initial interactions can be.
With the right mindset and adjustments
(i.e., incorporating relation-centered concepts),
MBOs’ learning opportunities can be re-designed
to deliver the guidance support
that members need to benefit fully from their membership.
This approach replaces the pressure that MBOs feel of having to be “all things to all members.” Instead, members learn not just to select the learning opportunities their MBOs have to offer, but also to engage with those members who possess the information, knowledge, experiences, expertise and additional connections for things that their MBOs cannot provide.
Historically, MBOs have overlooked the capacity their members have to augment the more formal learning opportunities that are offered. Members, as is evidenced below, have the capacity to expand their MBOs’ learning opportunities in a wide range of informal ways.
“Involvement with CSEA allowed me the opportunity to develop professional in a way I never saw ahead of time. My ability to grasp tax law, communicate it to other tax professionals and deliver product to my clients was all inter-related. The time commitment was more than returned in professional advancement and I met many other like-minded persons that are in this room today.” Vickie M.
“When I joined CSEA, I was a new “EA” but had been in the industry for many years. Through the monthly education meetings, I was able to confirm and validate that I had the knowledge to handle complex tax returns and issues. Also by networking with other professionals, I was able to increase my confidence and to see that there was more out there.” Ronald U.
“On a couple different occasions, a conversation with a CSEA member has inspired me to set goals for my business and accomplish these goals. Bart K.
“It has opened my eyes to other opportunities for me to grow and challenge myself. I have increased recognition from my co-workers…who are attorneys. I have formed new relationships which are both friendships and professional. I feel that I have found a professional forum for myself. As a paralegal and EA, I am now more solid in my professional affiliation with the EA designation.” Joyce C.
“Being involved with CSEA has given me the confidence in myself to know that I am knowledgeable in my field of taxation. The relationships that I’ve established have made it easier to reach out to my fellow EA’s when an issue arises that I may not fully understand.” Gregory C.
The relationships that I have developed at CSEA have continued to lead me to growth in ways professionally, publicly that I would not have expected. I am a better public speaker and tax professional. Torie C.
These accounts remind us that members will dedicate time and money when they can understand and appreciate the degree to which they will benefit and how what they learn will support their personal and professional development.
Finally and most importantly, CSEA’s volunteer leaders made it clear just what they valued most from their engagement. While they might have initially chosen to get involved because of the information they might gain, that ultimately wasn’t the reason they engaged more fully.
The greatest value was the opportunity to establish the kind of social bonds that evolved further…some into purposeful relationships… others into lifelong meaningful relationships.
The capacity for MBOs to help members make these pivotal kinds of social connections is what separates them from for-profit and other nonprofit organizations.
Establishing/Empowering Extraordinary Relationships
MBOs for decades have touted “networking” as a key member benefit. And yet, that hasn’t proven itself to be true. While such sessions allow members to meet other members, their ability to find those members who can be of specific support to them is often difficult and limited. It is often so because members don’t know how to use that event as a strategy to find them.
Those members who do find this support from fellow members tend to do so serendipitously, not strategically.
Because this benefit is so consequential, to both their members and their organizations, it is well worth volunteer and staff leaders’ time to explore incorporating the kind of relevant relation-centered adjustments into existing strategies that ensure members make the social connections that matter most to them.
This suggests – along with evidence from the icebreakers wide-spread use – that the impact that CSEA members experienced below can easily be replicated elsewhere.
“CSEA has not made a difference in my tax practice – it has made a difference in my life. I don’t have much of a “practice.” I mainly work as an accountant (Yes, I said the A word!). The relationships, friendships, and networking opportunities have had a wonderful impact and have been a blessing I could not have gained elsewhere.” Laura Y
When I was a new EA and went to my first Super Seminar and then Chapter Meeting, I felt like I was part of a larger “family” and that I met people who could help me learn what to do to build a successful practice. That was 11 years ago. It was a dream come true. Patricia Y.
My involvement in CSEA has resulted in a network of expertise, in a wide variety of tax issues, who are readily accessible and willing to provide assistance whenever needed. Bob W.
“I became an EA to be a better tax professional. I became a CSEA member to become a better tax professional. It was when I became involved in CSEA that the relationships I formed really accelerated me in this profession.” Doug P.
“The relationships and opportunities for participation and leadership have advanced my connection to the profession and that has evoked greater commitment and passion in serving my clients.” Anonymous
“It has provided the access and opportunity to form important and lasting relationships with many, many other tax professionals. It has helped me develop and nurture knowledge, confidence, and abilities to serve my clients well.” Laclen D.
“I wasted the first 10 years of my CSEA membership by not being involved, by not attending meetings. Once I started participating, my practice has grown considerably thank to the network of tax professionals I now can call on across the entire United States. Margy D.
As noted earlier, members are experts at being customers. Most members, unfortunately, do not understand or appreciate how to behave as citizens within their MBOs’ specially-defined membership communities. Those who fail to learn the difference automatically adopt customer behaviors.
Within MBOs, that decision is guaranteed to limit their engagement. And, engagement will be dependent on some tenured members, volunteer leaders, and/or staff professionals taking an interest in new or less active members.
Again, with a few simple relation-centered adjustments, MBOs can empower even more of their tenured members, volunteer leaders, and staff professionals to provide the guidance and support their members need to experience membership as their founders intended. Imagine what the consequences of that might be not just for those members, but their MBOs as well.
The association management literature tends to suggest that a singular type of relationship exists within MBOs. The findings from this icebreaker – along with decades experience working in MBOs – suggest that this is another faulty assumption.
Networking allows members to make somewhat superficial momentary social connections. If members are fortunate, some will meet members with whom they share something in common. It’s only then that social bonds are established.
But for these social bonds to evolve further, more meaningful interaction is required. The accounts above serve as reminders that MBOs seeking to increase and expand member engagement are wise to introduce the kind of strategies (i.e., with a relation-centered focus) that prompt members to engage in more substantial ways.
MBOs that do will experience something extraordinary: their specially-defined membership communities will exhibit a high degree of social solidarity and social cohesion.
This is not just a nicety to have, but essential for those MBOs interested in having their members mobilize when called as well as support critical priorities.
Potential Consequences
Some volunteer and staff leaders depend too heavily on prevailing assumptions when it comes to member engagement. Too often, the information generated from surveys with fixed-responses often does little but affirm these defeatist beliefs. Why? Such findings fail to reveal the root cause(s); ensuring that the strategies employed in response will not generate desired or lasting outcomes.
The stories shared below reflect other anecdotes I’ve heard over the decades from volunteer leaders and members – from MBOs of all kinds – during personal and group interviews. They serve as a reminder not to become complacent when it comes to the social dynamics that exist within MBOs that play a critical role in building, fostering and cultivating member engagement.
CSEA was fortunate that these members, despite their initial experiences, persisted. What its volunteer and staff leaders will never know is how many did not…and ultimately allowed their membership to lapse.
“I’ve only been a member since March 2013 (ed note: icebreaker occurred six months later), so too early. Helpful: continuing education opportunities; opportunity for networking but it is admittedly hard to break into this group. The length of tenure is a strength and weakness of this group.” Madelyne C.
“When I joined my CSEA chapter, there was very little sharing of how ‘How to.’ That is, if you asked a question you got a look that said ‘go figure it out yourself.’ As I stayed with the chapter and joined its leadership, was instrumental in changing that. As president, I started roundtables where information was shared. This pushed me to do much more studying and eventually I became the go to guy for questions.” William R.
An MBO’s cultural norms and traditions can unintentionally and surreptitiously undermine their efforts to achieve a high degree of member satisfaction. Too often, the MBOs’ reputation suffers long before the problem is discovered. Once lost, something like that is very hard to repair. While a number of strategies can be employed to remain vigilant, MBOs that do so are wise to focus attention not just on their members, but also on their organizations’ attitudes, behaviors, and actions.
Integrating relation-centered concepts
into existing strategies is one way
to circumvent this from happening.
It does so by teaching members what it means to be a member…not a customer. And, that their admittance as members also includes their acceptance by their peers as citizens of their MBOs’ specially-defined membership communities.
As such, they have an opportunity to build their own personalized engagement plan that will prove to be a meaningful, purposeful, and very likely a transformative developmental experience. To accomplish that, they have been afforded rights and privileges as well as are expected to fulfill specific duties and obligations; all of which will play a consequential part in advancing their desired outcomes. With the intention of not sounding overly dramatic,
MBOs interested in remaining relevant
in their prospective and current members’ lives would be wise
to seriously consider the value of replacing their traditional transaction-based focus
within their existing management strategies
with those that are more relation-centered.
While it’s true that the times are turbulent, the underlying reason why has substantially changed.
Our society is experiencing a barrage of unwelcome and unprecedented threats and challenges by our own federal government; more specifically on our very freedoms and way of life.
Because this external force is influencing every segment and sector of our society, MBOs will eventually – if not already – be affected. The degree of this threat far exceeds the decades-long debate about how these organizations should be governed and managed.
MBOs’ future can only be assured if their volunteer and staff leaders recognize and accept the unique and inherent role their organizations are designed to play in functioning democracies.
It’s not too late to make the kinds of adjustments that foster, inspire, and cultivate a high degree of social cohesion within their specially-defined membership communities. The force that doing so will create will not only help protect their members, but also their practice settings.
Those who do not may very well succumb to the pressures being imposed by those forces to become compliant to values and policies that may be counterintuitive to their members’ practice settings.
How does one go about this?
Reshaping Member Engagement within 21st Century MBOs
CSEA did not intentionally set out to introduce relation-centered concepts into their strategies. They just knew that their volunteer leaders needed to help build and expand member engagement throughout their chapters…and at the state level.
Prior to hearing their volunteer leaders’ stories, no one, including me, appreciated the lessons that would emerge from such a simple activity. Or, the breadth at which the stories could be used to help other members long after the meeting was over.
But sometimes, the information one needs reveals itself in unexpected ways. These stories helped clarify the impact when members experienced something that was more relation-centered than transaction-based.
A great deal more applied research has been done since that notable day with CSEA. The findings have helped us at the Institute gain deeper understanding and appreciation of relation-centered management and how it can benefit MBOs. Its introduction need not be immediate, widespread, or comprehensive within the organization. It can be initiated in any singular activity or event without endangering an organization from achieving its priorities.
To assist MBOs in this way, the Institute has produced two complimentary self-directed modules (including preparation considerations, talking points, key messages, activity materials, and more) that introduce the concept in very simple ways: one for volunteer leaders (and staff professionals) and the other for members.
For Volunteer Leaders
Transformative Impact of Membership
a relation-centered icebreaker for volunteer leaders
This module – which can be used at your MBO’s board orientation, board meeting, volunteer leadership conference, or more – helps set a new and positive understanding about members, membership, and member engagement. The reshaped attitudes and perspectives that result infuse a new enthusiasm among volunteer leaders and staff professionals. The stories that are generated can be used to inspire current and future members to engage in more purposeful and meaningful ways.
For Members
Making the Most of Your Membership
a relation-centered orientation module for new and current members
This module is designed to replace your MBO’s current “onboarding” session. While it includes the opportunity to share similar information, it goes one step further in that it empowers members by helping them understand what it means to be a member and how to navigate the organization to achieve their desired outcomes.
For both, the Institute also offers complimentary assistance on ways in which these modules can be adapted to support your MBO’s specific objectives or desired outcomes.
Member engagement need not remain the obstacle it has been for decades. The first step is realizing and accepting just how unique these organizations are from all others.
These modules will do much more than simply introduce the relation-centered management concepts and strategies to your volunteer leader and members. They will help your MBO build the kind of social cohesion needed to secure their active engagement in key ways, like: combatting misinformation and disinformation specific to their practice setting.
Members, in their local communities, have the capacity to disseminate accurate information to those in their social (not digital) networks. These individuals, in turn, can be inspired to do the same. Little can be done to stop the impact of the “ripple effect” that results.
Doing so ensures MBOs regain their rightful and visible place and role as arbiters and architects of the bodies of knowledge specific to their members’ practice settings. And, ensures they have a central seat at the table when the time comes to redefine, reshape, and rebuild our democracy.
Now is not the time for MBOs to sit on the sidelines
waiting for the disruption and turbulence to pass.
Now is the not the time to repeat
the same member engagement strategies, hoping for the best.
Imagine what more MBOs could accomplish if more members participated, volunteered, and stepped forward to serve in voluntary roles. They are willing, especially when they realize these engagement opportunities are strategies for them to address their needs and interests as well as advance their goals and aspirations.
Now is the time for members
to contribute all that they possess…
for the existence and future of their practice settings is at stake.
Achieving this for your MBO and your members is within your grasp.
For more information about relation-centered management, click on the Relation-centered Management graphic on our home page.
For reprint permission contact: info@melosinstitute.org.
Patricia A. Hudson, MPsSc is the founder and president of the Melos Institute.
© Copyright 2026, Melos Institute ♦ Santa Fe, NM
